BOROUGH PARK — “Lines of Sight,” an exhibition featuring an array of diverse and heartfelt artwork created by 37 participants in the Department of Psychiatry’s Art Therapy in the Wellness and Recovery Program and Adult Outpatient Services, took place on the afternoon of Wednesday, Nov. 20. 

Since 2008, the biannual event has celebrated patients’ artwork created during therapy sessions, which includes mediums such as colored pencils, oil paints and mixed media all on paper, conveying themes such as family, nature and femininity. 

Gwendolyn Kurtz, art therapist, director of therapeutic activities and the exhibit’s curator, told the Brooklyn Eagle that the event is a celebration of the power of creativity in terms of healing.

“Many times talk therapy is not the best way to process one’s experiences,” Kurtz said. “And art therapy, which is psychotherapy, gives people another outlet.”

As the artists begin their creative process, they navigate new “lines of sight,” both literal and metaphorical, Kurtz pointed out. 

“In the context of therapy, these new lines of sight symbolize the shift in perspectives that are central to the therapeutic process,” she explained.

Art can transform 

Artist and Maimonides patient George Spinella had nothing but high praise for Kurtz, who happens to be his therapist.

“Gwen helped me to discover a creative side I didn’t know I had,” Spinella said. “Her faith and encouragement pushed me in a whole new direction.”

Spinella’s creation, “The Butterfly,” reminds him of transformation, he noted: “A caterpillar transforms into a beautiful butterfly, and we, too, through art, can transform into a new version of ourselves.” 

Ken Gibbs, president and CEO of Maimonides Medical Center, told the crowd that “Lines of Sight” has been one of his favorite events since first coming to Maimonides.

“It speaks to the spirit of what we are about,” Gibbs said. “Art is a form of expression and an opportunity to share our strongest emotions — whether they are challenges, sadness and loss, struggles or appreciation of beauty and joy.” 

Julio Lopez, director of the Wellness Recovery Program, said, “The great thing about art therapy is that you can take a patient who may be non-verbal, give them a safe space to express themselves, and little by little you see them find their voice through art. And eventually many of these patients will ultimately speak in verbal groups.” 

Beginnings 

The formal practice of art therapy has its origins in mid-20th century Europe, with the coining of the term being attributed to British artist Adrian Hill in 1942.

At a time where thousands suffered in sanatoriums from tuberculosis, it was observed that drawing and painting was a creative outlet for patients that provided them the freedom their confines did not.

The practices in art therapy soon spread to mental hospitals through the work of Edward Adamson, who observed and further studied the connection between artistic expression and emotional release. The British Association of Art Therapists was founded in 1964.

Art therapy was being practiced in the United States around the same time, with the most influential North American practitioners being educator Margaret Naumburg and artist Edith Kramer.